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Sample Layoff Letters Already Prepared; State Ready To Notify Employees May 6 If No Deal Reached With SEBAC

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With a key deadline looming next Friday, state officials are already making detailed preparations for the layoff of state employees.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and his chief union negotiator both said they remain optimistic, but the wheels of government are churning toward layoffs in case there is no deal with the unions.

"We continue to prepare as if that's not going to be reached,'' Malloy told reporters at the state Capitol complex.

No agreements with the union coalition have been reached as negotiators expect to be working through the weekend.

"I think everybody knows what the calendar is,'' Malloy said. "I remain hopeful that we'll make some progress.''

He added, "We continue to think very seriously about what the layoff prospect would be and also what the programmatic changes would have to be. I'm not prepared today to make either of those available to you, but suffice it to say that OPM and others are working on it.''

The governor's budget office - the Office of Policy and Management - has notified all agency heads of the layoff procedures and the specific steps to take in case layoffs are ordered. The written instructions that were sent to agency heads provide every detail in how the layoffs should be handled, including "bumping'' options for employees assigned to other jobs and sample layoff letters that can be used.

Malloy's chief budget negotiator, Mark Ojakian, expressed optimism that the two sides can reach $1 billion in savings and concessions in each of the next two years. 

"Every day, I think we move closer to an agreement,'' he said. "I'm hopeful that we'll have something by next week.''  

"I am hoping to have something solid,'' Ojakian said. "This is a process, and I am working as hard as I can and as optimistic as I can be that we will reach an agreement. As the governor said, the fact that we're continuing to talk is a good sign. I don't think anybody has an interest in not reaching an agreement.''

Each union has rules on how the layoffs should be handled. Documents prepared by the budget office say that employees should be notified by "certified mail with return receipt or in person with employee signing to acknowledge receipt.''

One sample layoff letter is as follows: "It is with deep regret that I must inform you that your full-time position ... is being eliminated effective'' on June 30 at the close of business.

"This action has become necessary due to serious economic and financial considerations. The decision to eliminate positions does not reflect the quality of service provided by you to the state, but is a reflection of the need to reduce costs and become more efficient,'' the letter continues. "A meeting will be scheduled with you in order to more fully address any questions you may have. You may bring a representative of the union with you to this meeting.''

"I want to personally assure you that we are committed to providing assistance and support to you during this difficult period.''


Senate To Vote On Budget Monday; No Increase In Gas Tax In Final Deal By Gov. Malloy And Democrats; House To Vote Tuesday As Republicans Decry Vote As Too-Quick Rush-Job

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With gasoline prices skyrocketing, the state Senate will vote Monday on a final budget agreement that avoids any increase in the state's gasoline tax this year.

Negotiators finished the last details after working through the weekend at the state Capitol, and they agreed to drop the three-cents-per-gallon increase that Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy had proposed in mid-February.

Democrats in both the House of Representatives and Senate had balked at the gasoline tax increase at a time when gas prices have spiked higher every week and increased seemingly every day recently. Gasoline prices rose nationally during the month of April by 32 cents per gallon - essentially a penny daily.

Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams told Capitol Watch on Sunday that dropping the gasoline tax increase was an important provision of the two-year, $40 billion budget.

While the gasoline tax has been dropped, the final budget package still includes increases in most of the state's major taxes - on income, corporations, estates, sales, cigarettes, and cigars. The sales tax will increase from the current 6 percent to 6.35 percent on retail items, and the so-called "luxury tax'' will be 7 percent on cars worth more than $50,000, yachts selling for more than $100,000, jewelry for more than $5,000, and clothing items and wedding gowns selling for more than $1,000. The package also includes the so-called Amazon tax on online sales, even though Amazon's affiliates in Connecticut say that the tax will backfire.

If everything goes as planned by the Democratic-controlled legislature, the budget will be ratified by both the Senate and the House of Representatives by late Tuesday, May 3, which is clearly the earliest budget in recent state history.

"Even in the years when we had surpluses, we never had a budget agreement move forward this early,'' Williams said.

When the Democratic-controlled legislature was clashing with Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the budget was not finished one year until September - stretching out even longer than the epic battles that led to the creation of the state income tax in 1991.

While Malloy and Democrats are pleased that the budget is being finished early, House Republican leader Larry Cafero says it is being rammed through with lightning speed before the general public can rally enough support against the tax increases and spending.

"There just seems to be, on the part of this governor, an incredible rush to get this done,'' Cafero said. "I think most of it is let's get this done before people wake up and realize what we're doing.''

Cafero considers the process to be a rush-job.

"There's no doubt in my mind,'' Cafero said. "Are you kidding me? I think he's annoyed that it didn't get done this [past] week.''

While the 25-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax will not go up, the state will still receive more tax money in the coffers if gasoline prices continue climbing. The reason is that the state actually has a two-pronged gas tax. Besides the 25 cents per gallon levy, the state also collects a gross receipts tax that is pegged to the wholesale price of gasoline. As the wholesale price rises, motorists pay more to the state through the gross receipts tax - even though they might not know it. The gross receipts tax is not marked separately at the gas pump.

With gasoline prices at around $4.30 per gallon at some stations, the blocking of the 3 cents per gallon increase will be more of a psychological boost to consumers than a financial shot in the arm. For the average motorist driving 12,000 miles per year in a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, an extra 3 cents per gallon would have cost $18 per year.

While some legislators have voiced complaints about either the spending side or the tax side of the budget, they will be forced to vote this week on one unified budget in a single document.

In recent years, as many as five members of the Senate Democrats - Sen. Edward Meyer of Guilford, Joan Hartley of Waterbury, Bob Duff of Norwalk, Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, and Gayle Slossberg of Milford - have balked at certain aspects of the budget. So far, Meyer voted against the tax increases at the committee level in April, and Hartley voted against the spending increases in the budget-writing appropriations committee.

Williams declined to predict exactly how many votes he will have Monday in his 22-member caucus.

"We expect a strong majority,'' said Williams, who would not be calling for a vote if he did not believe that the budget would pass.

If there is an 18 to 18 tie in the 36-member Senate, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman would break the tie in favor of Malloy's budget.

Hillary Clinton on bin Laden: This was a relentless pursuit for justice

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Carolyn Lumsden, The Courant's editorial page editor, is attending a State Department briefing of the National Conference of Editorial Writers in Washington, D.C., today.  The briefing was planned long ago, but the timing was auspicious. Midmorning, to everyone's surprise, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walked into the room. Clinton joked that it had been "an eventful 24 hours."  Here are Lumsden's notes of  what else Clinton told the 15 editorial writers from Connecticut, Texas, D.C., Oregon, Pennsylvania and other states.

clinton-briefing.jpgBringing Osama bin Laden to justice took sustained, intense effort.  We worked to forge an anti-terrorist network., to shape the narrative, to convince people that bin Laden was a murderer, not a martyr.  He murdered more Muslims than anyone else.  He was a mass murderer of Muslims.  He most severely impacted Pakistan --crucial in finally leading us to bin Laden.

Many believe the State Department and USAID -- U.S. Agency for International Development -- are not affordable anymore.  Yet dangers and threats are greater than ever.

Part of reason we were successful with bin Laden is not because we were any more determined than others who came before.  Everybody was determined and focused.  But our tools are so much better and our relationships evolved in ways that allowed us to obtain information that was actionable.

The budget for State and USAID is so much smaller than many think.  At a town hall, people will stand up and say foreign aid is 20 percent of our budget.  How much should it be?  No more than 10 percent, they'll say.  In fact it's about 1 percent.

State Senate Stands For Moment Of Silence To Remember Those Killed On 9 - 11 After Death Of Osama Bin Laden

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The state Senate stood Monday afternoon for a moment of silence to remember those who died on September 11, 2001.

The occasion was marked following Sunday's death of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after a raid by American special forces at his compound in Pakistan.

"It was a tragic and stunning day in American history,'' Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams said of September 11. "And we resolved not to forget.''

He added, "Last night, President Obama said justice has been done.''

The moment of silence was observed before the Senate was to begin the debate on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's two-year, $40.2 billion budget.

Sen. John McKinney, R-Fairfield, the chamber's minority leader, also reflected on the lessons of Sept. 11. "We all have our own stories,'' he said. "For me its encompassed in several people.''

He spoke of a friend named Lauren, whose husband of less than a year "was on the 100th-plus floor of Cantor Fitzgerald.''

McKinney also spoke of an Easton couple who were the grandparents of the youngest person killed on Sept. 11. They also lost their son and daughter-in-law, who were on one of the planes that departed from Boston.

And then there was his daughter's friend. Her birthday is Sept. 11 and on that morning in 2001, her father decided to join her for breakfast and not rush into his office at the World Trade Center.

"He's alive today as a result,'' McKinney said.

Senate Debates Malloy's Budget For More Than 9 Hours Into Tuesday Morning; Largest Tax Increase In State History Would Close Deficit; GOP Budget Rejected By Democrats

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The Democratic-controlled state Senate was still debating early Tuesday morning over whether to approve Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget that will be the largest tax increase in state history - raising more than $1.5 billion in taxes on income, corporations, retail sales, estates, electric power plants, hospitals, alcohol, cigars, and cigarettes.

The two-year, $40.2 billion state budget increases spending by 2.14 percent in the first year and 2.32 percent in the second year.

Republicans complained that the budget proves that tax increases are too high because the increases will allow the state to generate surpluses of more than $1 billion over the next two years. But Malloy and Democrats said that money is needed to pay off debt and restore the state's now-depleted "rainy day'' fund for fiscal emergencies.

Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams said he expects 18 to 20 Democratic votes in the 36-member Senate. Some insiders agree that it could be approved by 20 to 16 with all Republicans voting against the Democratic-written budget.

The debate started at 4:18 p.m. Monday and had stretched longer than nine hours by early Tuesday morning.

In a strict party line vote shortly before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Democratic majority  defeated the Republicans' no-tax-increase budget by 22 to 14. 

Sen. Paul Doyle of Wethersfield is expected to vote in favor of the budget. When stopped at a traffic light Monday in his car near Hartford's Union Station, Doyle initially did not say whether he would vote for the budget. He then proceeded to drive to a second traffic light within sight of the state Capitol and was asked again. This time, Doyle said he would likely vote for the budget because the Republicans were not offering much of an alternative.

Another swing voter, Bob Duff of Norwalk, will be voting for the budget. But Democrat Gayle Slossberg of Milford was still noncommittal at about 11:30 p.m. Monday - more than 7 hours after the budget debate had started.

Malloy's budget raises taxes on more than 50 items in different categories, including charging the state's sales tax for the first time on previously tax-free items like non-prescription drugs, clothing and shoes under $50, pet grooming, automotive towing and storage, limousine rides, manicures, pedicures, repairs of small planes, and cosmetic surgery. The tax on retail sales will increase to 6.35 percent, while the maximum rate on the state income tax will increase to 6.7 percent for those with the highest income in the state. 

Sen. Andrew Roraback, a Litchfield County Republican, said the Democratic budget is deeply flawed because taxes will go up on everything from hats to shoes.

"For the middle class, the message is hold onto your hat. We're going to tax you from head to toe,'' Roraback said on the Senate floor. "Nothing is sacred.''

Republicans complained bitterly that Malloy had promised bipartisan cooperation and then negotiated the budget exclusively with the Democratic majority. Malloy is "unwilling to compromise, unwilling to listen, headstrong, and not willing to be flexible,'' said House Republican leader Larry Cafero of Norwalk. "It's his way or the highway.''

Cafero's counterpart, Senate Republican leader John McKinney of Fairfield, said, "He's a tax-and-spend liberal. His rhetoric may be different, but the rhetoric is over because this budget is real.''

McKinney mocked Malloy's often-repeated statement that Connecticut is "open for business'' at a time when taxes are being increased on the profits of corporations.

"How can you be open for business when you have a 100 percent increase on the corporate surcharge?'' McKinney asked on the Senate floor. "You cannot preach and talk and scream and say we're open for business and increase the corporate surcharge. At some point, the talk is hollow and meaningless.''

But Malloy's senior adviser and chief spokesman, Roy Occhiogrosso, said Republicans are incorrect in their analysis.

"This is the most fiscally responsible governor that has been around in a long time,'' Occhiogrosso said. "This is the most fiscally responsible budget that is currently pending in the entire country.''

Senate President Pro Tem Don Williams strongly defended the budget, saying it is balanced with no borrowing and no one-time revenues. The general public, he said, does not want to see gridlock, filibusters or endless debates about the budget.

"It's refreshing that on May 2 that we are ready to go to start moving this state,'' Williams said. "We want to get on with our business right now. ... No governor in the history of this state has asked for more from our state employees. ... The reason why we have that placeholder [for $2 billion in savings and concessions from state employees in two years] is we want to keep the pressure on.''

With his voice rising to a crescendo at the end of his speech, Williams said that Malloy's budget "will put us back on the road to recovery!''

While Republicans are opposed to a wide variety of tax hikes, they say that two of the increases are particularly troublesome because they were cited in a two-page memo by Malloy's tax commissioner, Kevin B. Sullivan of West Hartford. He specifically cited the so-called Amazon tax, which would generate a projected $9.4 million per year, and the proposed sales tax on cosmetic surgery, which would generate an estimated $4.1 million.

Sullivan questioned the estimates by the legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office, which had not checked with Sullivan before publishing the numbers.

The "revenue estimates, not vetted with [Malloy's tax] department, anticipate $9.4 million in each fiscal year of the new biennium,'' Sullivan wrote in a memo to budget director Ben Barnes and copied to Occhiogrosso, who previously worked with Sullivan. "The Department understands and supports the legislative policy behind this initiative but cautions that the anticipated revenue will be uncollectable for FY 2012 and probably for [the next year] as well. In fact, the result will likely be a net revenue loss.''

Sullivan added, "No state that has passed and implemented this tax is yet collecting revenue. In all but one state where legislation has passed, remote sellers like Amazon have simply ceased doing business with in-state businesses. ... If the proposed tax is adopted in Connecticut, Amazon and probably other remote sellers like PayPal will terminate all in-state vendor relationships and seek to enjoin or otherwise challenge implementation.''

The biggest impact in the state would likely be on Clarus Marketing Group, a fast-growing Internet company that has 25 employees in Middletown and works directly with Amazon. The managing director, Vincent Villano, says that Amazon would terminate its dealings with Connecticut affiliates, prompting layoffs at his firm that operates www.freeshipping.com

Sullivan also said that the sales tax on cosmetic surgery is "substantially uncollectable'' because federal privacy regulations on medical records would prevent tax auditors from determining whether the surgery was actually for cosmetic reasons. In addition, other states that are trying to collect the tax are "experiencing significant collection challenges,'' Sullivan said.

Republicans pushed the proposal at the committee level as Roraback offered an amendment to strip out the Amazon tax and the sales tax on cosmetic surgery.

"We should not go into this with a defeatist attitude,'' said Rep. Patricia Widlitz, a Guilford Democrat who serves as the finance committee's co-chairwoman. "If we pass this policy, the commissioner will do his best to collect those. ... We're doing things that none of us are happy about doing'' in raising taxes.

"When the chief collector of the money says we can't do it, especially on the cosmetic tax, then why should we have any faith that we're going to do it?'' asked Rep. Sean Williams, the ranking House Republican member on the finance committee.

On a voice vote, Roraback's amendment at the committee level on the Amazon tax and cosmetic surgery was defeated.

In a speech later on the floor, Senator Rob Kane said that the state should tear up the state seal from the floor of the Senate. Instead, he said a new motto should be put in its place that says, "Last one out, turn off the lights.''

On the Senate floor after 9:30 p.m. Monday, McKinney delivered his most impassioned, fiery speech of the session that directly ripped Malloy and the Democrats who wrote the detailed budget. He said that Connecticut is facing the worst economy of his 47 years in the state - including the highest electricity costs in the continental United States.

"They are staring down the barrel of the largest tax increase in our state's history,'' McKinney said, adding that it was "not a moment for congratulations and back-slapping.''

McKinney charged that Malloy had gathered with top Democrats to congratulate each other in an ornate function room of the state Capitol to celebrate a one-party budget. He decried a program in which the state spends $500,000 to teach old people how to avoid slipping and falling.

"You can get a lot of clothes for under $50,'' McKinney said, adding that he cannot remember the last time that he spent more than $50 for any item of clothing for his three young children.

"Few, if any, in our state have the extraordinarily rich plans that we do,'' said McKinney, referring to the healthcare benefits for legislators and state employees. "The family, struggling to make ends meet, can't afford to go to the doctor. They go to the pharmacy. Now, we're asking them to pay more.''

Since the start of the year, the increase in the gross receipts tax on gasoline has been 6.5 cents. As such, that increase is already higher than the 3-cents-per-gallon tax increase that was dropped recently.

"How can you go on a 17-town listening tour and not understand that electricity costs are choking our cities and towns?'' McKinney asked on the Senate floor.

Stating that the Bridgeport Bluefish and the Sound Tigers are struggling to make ends meet, the cost of the product will increase because of an admissions tax, he said.

He charged that the state legislature is taking taxes out of the pockets of taxpayers and giving it "to the monster of government.''

McKinney said it is "irresponsible'' to raise taxes in order to generate a projected surplus of $1 billion over the next two years - if Connecticut collects all of the taxes as planned.

"We're losing jobs. We're not just losing jobs to South Carolina and Georgia. We're not just losing jobs to Mexico and China,'' McKinney told his colleagues after 10 p.m. Monday on the Senate floor. ''We just learned a Waterbury company is leaving to move to Armonk, New York. They have a deal with the state of New York in which they're actually going to add jobs. ... We've lost jobs to Massachusetts. We've lost jobs to Rhode Island. We've lost jobs to New York.''

Malloy on this morning's budget vote

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Gov. Dannel P. Malloy met with the press briefly this morning. He answered questions about the state Senate's pre-dawn approval of the budget, ongoing discussions with the state workers and Connecticut's overall fiscal health.

Malloy was asked about the three Democratic senators who voted against the budget, but said he prefers to "dwell on the fact that the state Senate....approved the budget, which is groundbreaking. They demonstrated a great leadership and I'm very thankful for that leadership.''

He dismissed talk of a state surplus at a time when the budget package calls for significant tax increases. "This idea of continuing to talk about surpluses when we have billions of dollars of obligations, when in fact by any reasonable measurement we're flat broke, doesn't make a lot of sense. 

"I think very frequently it's put forward by folks who want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to be able to talk about the unfunded obligations of the state of Connecticut at the same time that they want to be able to talk about other things.''

Then, he added, they "vote against budgets that actually take a substantial step towards ultimately addressing the unfunded obligations of the state of Connecticut."

 

Chris Murphy rolling out more endorsements

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U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, the 5th District Democrat running for U.S. Senate, is rolling out a series of endorsements over the next two month or so.

First up: state Senator Beth Bye. "Working with Chris over the past few years and watching him fight in DC, I have been particularly impressed with his focus on manufacturing in CT. In a bipartisan way, he is working to keep jobs in the US, particularly military defense manufacturing jobs. This approach is good national defense policy and smart job growth policy for Connecticut," Bye said in an email announcing her endorsement.

Murphy is facing former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz for the Democratic nomination for the seat, which is currently held by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who announced his retirement from the chamber earlier this year.

New Britain Mayor Tim Stewart Not Seeking Re-election; Democratic Rep. Timothy O'Brien In Running For Mayor

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In an important announcement in New Britain politics, Mayor Timothy Stewart announced that he will not seek re-election to a fifth term.

Stewart was the most popular Republican in New Britain in recent years, but he lost a state Senate race to Democrat Theresa Gerratana.


House Approves Malloy's Budget By 83 - 67; Tax Increases On Income, Estates, Cigarettes, Hotel Rooms, Rental Cars, Yachts; GOP's No-Tax-Increase Plan Rejected By Dems

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After nearly 10 hours of debate, the Democratic-controlled House of Representative passed Gov. Dannel Malloy's budget just before midnight Tuesday after an extended clash between Republicans and Democrats over raising taxes.

All 52 Republicans voted against the budget, and they were joined by 15 fiscally conservative Democrats led by state Rep. Linda Schofield of Simsbury and others. Representatives Mary Fritz of Wallingford, Claire Janowski of Vernon, Ed Jutila of Niantic, Frank Nicastro of Bristol, Kim Fawcett of Fairfield and Steve Mikutel of Griswold were among the Democrats voting against the plan.

Malloy released a statement early Wednesday morning in which he thanked the top House Democratic leaders.

"As I said yesterday, I know it's a tough vote - it's also the right vote,'' he said. "This budget is balanced, honest, and contains none of the gimmicks that helped get us into this mess.  It will provide the stability we need to foster much-needed job creation - which is everyone's top goal.''

Malloy continued, "Now it's up to my Administration to reach an agreement with our fellow state employees and to present it to the legislature for ratification.  I remain hopeful that we'll get there.  If we don't, I remain committed to presenting an alternative budget to the General Assembly in the next couple of weeks.

"Make no mistake: come July 1, Connecticut will have an honest, balanced budget in place.  No smoke, no mirrors.  A solid foundation for the future."

Some Democrats praised the budget as the first step in getting Connecticut back onto solid financial footing, but the Republicans charged that the legislature is forgetting about the average person living in Connecticut.

House Republican leader Larry Cafero of Norwalk told the tale of a local landscaper who told him that it costs $400 per week to power his lawnmowers that he needs to run his business. But the skyrocketing price of gasoline has recently pushed his fuel costs up by 40 percent, and he asked Cafero how he could possibly budget for that type of increase.

"What do I tell that landscaper buddy of mine?'' Cafero asked on the House floor. "Suck it up. I realize you have two kids in college. I realize that we're going to increase taxes on everything you buy. Is that what we're going to tell him, folks? Is that our judgement today? There's a bettter way.''

A Republican senator had said that the middle class was being taxed from head to toe, and Cafero phrased it a different way.

"When they go to buy clothes for their kids - pajamas, underwear, sneakers - now they have to pay [sales] taxes on that. It was zero. Now, it's 6.35 percent,'' Cafero said. "We're going to put tax on things you never paid taxes on before.''

But Malloy's senior adviser and chief spokesman, Roy Occhiogrosso, said that Cafero is "entertaining, but wrong'' in his analysis.

"The governor is asking everyone to make sacrifices and not asking any one group of people to bear a burden that he doesn't think they can bear,'' Occhiogrosso told reporters Tuesday in the Capitol press room. "He acknowledges that he's asking a lot of people, but also continues to point out that the alternative is one of two things: to go back to playing the financial games that got us into this mess or to go down the road with an alternative budget that would just shred the safety net and lay thousands of people off. He's aware of what he's asking people to do but thinks that it is not unfair given what people will get in return, which is stabilizing the state's finances and allowing the state to create jobs.''

Occhiogrosso added, "The governor believes that the tax structure that he is proposing ... will stabilize the state's finances, which will allow the private sector to make decisions they haven't been able to make because they're afraid the state is going to pull the rug out from under them.''

After the debate, top Democrats praised the vote.

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan said, "This is a responsible, tough but honest budget that helps solve the budget crisis and moves Connecticut forward. What we passed today was a budget of fair, shared sacrifice. This budget closes our state's deficit and maintains important investments for jobs, education and the elderly.''

He added, "We have made significant spending reductions, consolidated 30 percent of our state agencies and maintained important investments that will help grow businesses and protect families. After three years of economic hardship, our state's finances are stabilized and Connecticut is moving forward on the road to economic recovery."

House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey of Hamden said, "We are turning a corner, putting our fiscal deficits behind us and moving forward with the business of creating jobs and growing our state's economy. There is no borrowing, no one-time revenues, and no gimmicks.''

Sharkey added, "Unlike the budgets in New York and New Jersey, we are protecting funding to cities and towns. Schools, town services and local property taxes will not be impacted. We've made real deep cuts, reduced the debt, fully funded our pension obligations and restored the rainy day fund. Making tough decisions is what the people of Connecticut expect us to do."

The House debate Tuesday was essentially a continuation of the Senate debate Monday over the largest tax increase in state history. Malloy praised the 19 Senate Democrats who passed the budget shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday in a tight, 19 to 17 vote with three Democrats voting against the plan.

Cafero said that Budget Day 2011 is his 19th at the state Capitol - giving him perspective on the single most important bill that the legislature debates each year.

Cafero mentioned the late state Rep. Richard Tulisano, a Rocky Hill attorney and Democratic legislator who has been described as brilliant by his former colleagues. Cafero recalled that Tulisano was fond of a quote from Edmund Burke that said "Your representative owes you not his industry, but his judgment.''

When Malloy was elected, Cafero said it was a new day in state government with a new governor and great expectations.

"All of us, myself included, wished him Godspeed and good health,'' Cafero told colleagues on the House floor at about 5 p.m. "We had this great expectation on January 5 that we were going to work together. ... There was no one clapping louder than this guy in this chair.''

But Cafero says that his high hopes were dashed sharply when Malloy and his budget team completely cut off the Republicans from substantive deliberations. The budget was a Democratic-written document, and the closed-door negotiations were conducted between the Office of Policy and Management and the Democratic leaders of the legislature's budget and tax committees.

"That's when my expectations were shattered,'' Cafero said. "I listened to what our governor said, and then I saw what he did.''

Rep. Livvy Floren, a Greenwich Republican who also represents a portion of Malloy's hometown of Stamford, said it was ironic that Malloy traveled around the state to 17 town hall meetings to learn what people were thinking, but "couldn't bother to walk across the aisle'' to obtain Republican ideas for the budget.

But Occhiogrosso said that Malloy "has made many compromises to make it a better product.''

Prompted by the global recession and a huge downdraft on Wall Street that only recently has partially recovered, the state was plunged into huge deficits. The Wall Street collapse started with the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers investment bank in mid-September 2008, and the stock market went cascading downward after that.

"How many people had to pull their kids out of college - mid-semester - because they couldn't afford the tuition any more?'' Cafero asked.

"You guys in government, what have you done to sacrifice?'' Cafero asked. "We didn't reduce spending. We increased it. ... Last year, we spent $19.3 billion. This year, it's $19.8 and next year, it's $20.2 Hello? We increased spending.''

"Isn't there some compromise before zero and $1.8 billion?'' Cafero asked. "What are we going to say to them? ... I implore you to think about what we are doing today. To close your eyes and think about the faces of the people you represent. That's who we represent, and they expect better judgement from what we are doing today.''

Cafero says they are losing sight of the people who are being impacted by Malloy's budget.

"What they're telling us is they just can't afford government any more,'' he said. "They keep paying and paying and paying.''

Rep. Gail Lavielle, a Wilton Republican who also represents a part of Cafero's hometown of Norwalk, sounded a similar theme.

"These people have sacrificed enough,'' she said. "This budget doesn't just hit people hard. It hits them hard when they're down!''

The Republicans offered their no-tax-increase budget as an amendment, which was defeated at about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday in a strictly party line vote by 97 to 52.

In another party line vote by the same count a few minutes later, the Democratic majority rejected a plan to restore the state's maximum $500 property tax credit. Under the latest plan, the maximum credit would be $300 for couples earning up to $100,000 per year. The credit would decrease above that level and would drop to $30 - one tenth of the maximum - for couples earning between $150,000 and $160,000 per year. Above $160,000, joint filers would receive no credit at all.

Democrats also defeated a Republican amendment to phase out the 3 percent rate in the state income tax in a vote at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Live Tweets From Newspaper Editor's Conference With Gov. Malloy

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The Hartford Courant's Andrew Julien and Bernie Davidow, along with newspaper editors from around the state, will be meeting with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy at 10:30 am at the Gov. Mansion. Follow tweets from the event below.

Darien Resident Scott Pelley To Replace Katie Couric On CBS Evening News; Up Against NBC's Brian Williams

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Darien resident Scott Pelley will be taking over from Katie Couric as the new anchor of the CBS Evening News.

Pelley will head the famed broadcast in a long line of nationally known journalists that date back to Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite.

He will be competing in the nightly news against another lower Fairfield County resident, Brian Williams of NBC News.

Gov. Malloy will sign the budget bill this afternoon

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From the governor's press office:

 

TODAY: GOVERNOR MALLOY SIGNS BUDGET BILL

 

(HARTFORD, CT) - This afternoon, Governor Dannel P. Malloy will be joined by legislative leaders, committee chairmen, and legislators as he signs the FY12/FY13 Biennium Budget Bill that was approved last night by the House of Representatives in concurrence with the Senate, which voted early Tuesday morning.

 

WHO: Governor Malloy, legislative leaders, committee chairmen, legislators

WHAT: Governor Malloy signs the FY12/FY13 Biennium Budget Bill

WHEN: TODAY - Wednesday, May 4, 2011; 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Old Judiciary Room, State Capitol; Hartford

 

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For Immediate Release: May 4, 2011

 

Malloy: Layoffs Of State Workers Could Exceed 4,000

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Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, speaking less than 12 hours after lawmakers approved his two-year $40.2-billion budget, said "large-scale" layoffs could exceed 4,000 state workers -- and other possible "programmatic changes" are looming in state government if state-employee unions fail to agree to $1 billion in cost savings for the next fiscal year.

He said he would meet with lawmakers in the next 24 hours to go over options drafted by his administration -- including layoffs from the state's work force, which includes about 55,000 workers, 45,000 of whom are unionized.

Pink slips are expected to go out Friday in the absence of a deal for $2 billion in state-employee cost-savings over the next two years. Malloy told a meeting of news executives at his residence Wednesday morning that he would have to find $1 billion in cuts to cover the $1 billion shortfall in the first year.

Asked if such cuts for include aid to cities and towns, Malloy said, "Everything's on the table."

"The budget will  be balanced, one way or another," he said.

Benjamin Barnes, his budget director, said the cost of paying out departing employees would be lower than the costs of paying fringe benefits over the next 12 months.

Malloy began the session by noting that he has been told this is the earliest anyone can remember a biennial state budget's being approved, and exceeded even his target date of May 6. The Senate approved the budget early Tuesday, and the House approved it that night.

Sources: Obama Picks Chris Droney For U.S. Appeals Court

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President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated federal district court judge Christopher F. Droney to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of appeals in New York, political sources involved in the appointment process said.

The nomination of Droney, a Democrat and a judicial moderate, had been expected for months and had been all but pending while FBI agents completed the routine background review performed in the cases of all presidential appointees.

Obama's nomination of Droney to the prestigious federal appeals court replaces that of fellow federal District Court Judge Robert N. Chatigny. Chatigny, another Democrat and judicial moderate, withdrew his name from consideration earlier this year after encountering extraordinary partisan opposition in the U.S. Senate during his confirmation. The opposition centered on remarks Chatigny made while presiding in a notorious Connecticut death penalty case.

Droney is not expected to encounter any of the political opposition that sunk Chatigny's confirmation in the U.S. in the Senate.

He has strong political support and his well-thought off by lawyers practicing in the federal courts. His experience as Connecticut's top federal law enforcement officer is expected to mollify conservative Senate Republicans who made Chatigny a scapegoat for what they called Obama's penchant for judicial activism.

Droney was nominated to the federal district court in May 1994 by President Bill Clinton. His appellate nomination has been pushed by U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Political observers credit Droney's brother, former Democratic State Chairman John Droney, with a key role in Lieberman's first U.S. Senate victory, over former U.S. Senator and Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.

Seats on the 2nd Circuit are allocated among lawyers from the three member states. Two Connecticut seats opened last year when Judge Guido Calabresi, the former Yale Law School dean, and Judge Barrington D. Parker, decided to have themselves designated as senior judges. Federal judicial seats open when judges assume senior status, which allows them to retain their authority but decrease their caseloads.

Obama previously nominated Yale Universeity lawyer Susan Carney for Connecticut's other open seat on the 2nd circuit. The New York appeals court routinely resolves some of the country's most complex legal questions and its members often appear on short lists of potential U.S.Supreme court nominees.

While on the  bench, Droney has ruled in a number of diverse cases, including U.S. v. Dennis Paris, a criminal case involving child sex trafficking, U.S. v Ronald Ferguson, involving fraudulent SEC filings, Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Co. v. Bridgeport Port Authority, a long and acrimonious dispute over wharfage fees in Bridgeport, John Fenn v. Yale University, involving ownership of a patented, medical diagnostic invention and Detroit Institute of Fine Arts v. Rose, a dispute over ownership of a Howdy Doody puppet.

 

Delegation unwilling to criticize administration's decision not to release bin Laden death photographs

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Should photographs of Osama bin Laden after he was killed be released?

Members of the state's Congressional delegation say it's the president's call -- and none of them were not willing to criticize the decision by the White House to keep the images out of public view.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman's spokesman, Jeremy Kirkpatrick, said the Senator "understands that this was a difficult judgment and respects the decision of the president."

Lieberman, Kirkpatrick adds, "has not seen the photos, but he has been briefed on their content."

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro has also not seen the photos. But she says she respects "the sensitive nature of the issue and understand the president's decision to do what he believes is in the nation's best interest at this time." 


Malloy Signs Budget And Tax Package; Largest Tax Increase In State History Would Close Deficit

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In one of the most historic rooms in the state Capitol, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy opened a new chapter in Connecticut Wednesday by signing the largest tax increase in state history.

The scene was the ornate Old Judiciary Room - the same room where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that he was bringing his team to Hartford and the same place where the impeachment committee gathered evidence against then-Gov. John G. Rowland.

Malloy and Democratic legislators gathered under the high ceiling of the ornate function room on the third floor at the Capitol as Malloy signed the thick document before handing it to his chief legal counsel, Andrew McDonald.

Democratic legislators were smiling as they gathered around the first Democratic governor in the past 20 years - and the first time that a Democrat had signed a budget since Bill O'Neill.

Tom Foley and wife Leslie Fahrenkopf Foley are expecting twins

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Former gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley and his wife Leslie Fahrenkopf Foley have some happy news: they are expecting twins. Fahrenkopf Foley is 13 weeks pregnant. 

Chris Coutu makes it official: He's running for Congress in CT-2

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State Rep. Chris Coutu says he's running for Congress because he's deeply concerned about the "dire circumstances facing our country."

Coutu, a Republican from the Taftville section of Norwich, cited the climbing national debt, rising gas prices and stagnating employment figures.

"As a new father, I am ashamed that our representatives in Washington have piled up over $14 trillion in debt to be paid for by our children and grandchildren,'' Coutu said in an email sent to supporters this morning.

"As a fiscally conservative state legislator who defeated a 14-year Democrat incumbent, I've fought for balanced budgets, low taxes and fewer regulations. As a former financial advisor and tax professional who is working to start a new small business in Connecticut, I have seen first-hand how policies coming out of Washington, D.C. and Hartford make it harder to create jobs and keep the jobs we have.

"And as a veteran of the United States Air Force and an officer in the Army National Guard, I know our nation is most secure when it is strong, and I know we must not send our troops into harm's way without a real plan for victory," Coutu said.

Coutu is looking to unseat U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a three-term Democrat.

Blumenthal's Son, Matthew, Bound For Afghanistan

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U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal's son, Matthew, is among a contingent of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves that will serve in Afghanistan later this year.

This would be his first tour there.

Fox CT reporter Ayana Harry spoke with Lt. Matthew Blumenthal, 25, during a sendoff party in Plainville for the 176 reservists from throughout the Northeast. They will deploy first to Camp Pendelton in California and then to Afghanistan.

"I'm just getting ready with all the staff officers and other leaders of the company to give these Marines the best possible training they can to be prepared for the challenges they will face going abroad in support of Operation Enduring Freedom ," Blumenthal said.

The reservists are part of Charlie Company,  1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. 

At Camp Pendleton in California, the reservists will go through six months of intensive predeployment training, including exercises in mock Afghan villages and counter-insuregency education, before leaving for Afghanistan with a larger contingent.

Matthew Blumenthal, the oldest of four children, joined the senator at this year's State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C.

State Rep. Jeff Berger's son Connor is also being deployed to Afghanistan

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal isn't the only Connecticut politico with a son bound for Afghanistan: state Rep. Jeff Berger's son is also a U.S. Marine Corps reservist who will serve in that country later this year.

In fact, Rep. Berger's youngest son, Lance Cpl. Connor C. Berger, is part of the same Charlie Company unit that also includes Lt. Matthew Blumenthal.

Like Blumementhal, Berger is enormously proud of his son, who is 19 and a student at Southern Connecticut State University. Connor joined the reserves at age 17 and completed his first year in college while fulfilling his military duties.

"He got a full year in and he made the Dean's List,'' said Rep. Berger, a Democrat from Waterbury.

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